The example letter below shows you a general layout for a formal letter. Pass your mouse over the different areas of it to find out more information (JavaScript needs to be turned on in your browser).

Rules for Writing Formal Letters in English

In English there are a number of conventions that should be used when writing a formal or business letter. Furthermore, you try to write as simply and as clearly as possible, and not to make the letter longer than necessary. Remember not to use informal language like contractions.

Addresses:

1) Your Address

The return address should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter.

2) The Address of the person you are writing to

The inside address should be written on the left, starting below your address.

Date:

Different people put the date on different sides of the page. You can write this on the right or the left on the line after the address you are writing to. Write the month as a word.

Salutation or greeting:

1) Dear Sir or Madam,

If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to, use this. It is always advisable to try to find out a name.

2) Dear Mr Jenkins,

If you know the name, use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr, etc.) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women.

Ending a letter:

1) Yours faithfully

If you do not know the name of the person, end the letter this way.

2) Yours sincerely

If you know the name of the person, end the letter this way.

3) Your signature

Sign your name, then print it underneath the signature. If you think the person you are writing to might not know whether you are male of female, put you title in brackets after your name.

An informal letter or a personal letter is a letter to a close friend or an acquaintance. Isn’t it wonderful to receive such a letter from a friend? Better yet, isn’t it wonderful to actually write one?

If you think letter writing is lame or old fashioned, read this article first: Letter writing

Letter writing still has a sentimentality about it that transcends all other forms of communication, and this is probably why some people stick to it even though they could use other means.

The best way of learning how to write letters, I reckon, is to look at a number of specimens, analyse what has to be done and perhaps what does not have to be done, don’t you agree?

Of course there are no hard and fast rules about how to write an informal letter and common sense dictates that someone may use whatever works best for him. However, there is a conventional way of going about it that will make all the difference if you apply it.

Let’s start off by reviewing a letter I wrote to my sister some four years ago:

Informal Sample Letter #1

Address and date

Some people may think the address is not important in an informal letter and prefer to leave it out. That works well if the person you are writing to knows your address already or if she has a good memory! However, it is very unlikely that someone will always remember your address, so it is always a good idea to include it. Remember, this is the address they have to write to for the letter to reach you. The recipient’s address is on the envelope.

The address and date should be in the right hand corner. If I were writing to a person in another country, I would have preferred to add the following details:

Hillcrest Secondary School,

P.O Box 60453,

Livingstone,

ZAMBIA

10101

7th February 2004

Since she already lives in Zambia, it is not necessary to include the country and thepostcode i.e. 10101. However, if you are writing to someone outside the country, always include your country and post code.

After you have written the address, leave a line and write the date.

Salutation

The most common salutation in an informal letter is “Dear….”

Note that it is followed by a comma.

Dear Mimi,

However, some go extremely informal and use “Hey!” or “Hi!”

You should use your discretion. Obviously if you are writing to your father, you would not use “Hey!” unless of course you are extremely close.

Body

Here are a few things you should take note of:

Paragraphs:

Since informal letters are usually written by hand, the paragraphs are usually indented. However, with more people using their computers to do most of their writing(and I have a bad feeling most people will forget how to write with their hands), it is becoming a common practice to write paragraphs without indentations—like the way this one is written. This, apparently, is the modern way of writing paragraphs.

use informal language

The first paragraph generally expresses a greeting, followed by wishes of good health. Remember you are writing to someone you know very well, so try to be as friendly as possible:

How are you my dear sister?

However, always use your discretion. Try not to go overboard. Some people become bold and daring in letters and write things that they would otherwise not say to the person face to face. Obviously if you are writing to an adult that you respect, like your dad, try not to write things like:

“What’s up dude!” or “What’s going down?”

Try to picture the person you are writing to standing in front of you. Imagine the things that you would say to him and write them down. This will help you not to go overboard.

Also avoid boring sentences like…

“I am writing this letter to….”

…unless you are writing to a stranger. Even so, try to be as amiable as possible:

I have heard so much about you and would be head over heels with joy if you could agree to be my pen pal

Try to be as conversational as possible. You are allowed to use colloquial language – i.e. language that is appropriate for speech but not really for writing:

My journey back here was fine, though it was quite a long one. I wanted to travel by CR bus but guess what; all the wretched buses were full! So I had no choice but to travel by a small Rosa bus. The journey took seven hours. By the time we reached, my legs were tried and my bottom was severely sore, ugh! Next time, I promise, I’m not gonna use one of ‘em tiny buses!

However informal you get, you should not forget to pay attention to…

punctuation and spelling

I have come across a good number of letters that abound with spelling mistakes and awful punctuation. Such mistakes tend to distract the reader, so don’t neglect them even though you know your friend will understand.

The quality of your letter also speaks volumes about the kind of person you are so all the more reason to be careful!

If you use contractions, make sure that you put the apostrophe in the right places. For example:

Isn’t and not is’nt

won’t and not wont

mustn’t and not must’nt

The contraction it’s is especially one that you must watch out for. It is the short form of it is or it has. But if you want to use it to indicate possession, you should use itsand not it’s. Check out this example:

The dog lost its collar.

Remember also to use capitals for the right things i.e. the names of people, places, holidays, etc should all start with a capital letter.

Bottom line? Don’t throw away your grammar book!

Use consistence voice and style

Use the active voice if you want your letter to sound more conversational and interesting. Avoid shifts in the voice. Check out this article on the advantage of using the active voice: Use active Voice

One common error is inconsistency in the tense. For example read the following sentence:

I was going to town yesterday when a dog bite me and I ran all the way to the hospital.

Here is a sentence with starts in the past tense and then right in the middle, the tense changes to present and then finally reverts to past. Even if your friend is very understanding, this is still distracting.

Ask questions

It is always a good idea to ask questions in the body of the letter that you would like the person to answer in their reply. Questions work as a good base on which to write a letter, and they give the recipient motivation to reply:

How are those wonderful brothers of mine?

Did I tell you that I am librarian too, eh?

Complimentary close

This is where you sign off, i.e. say toodle- oo:

Take care,

Michael

In informal letter writing, the complimentary close is always very friendly:

Love,

Lots of love,

Best wishes,

Missing you lots,

Yours forever,

etcetera…

Remember, a comma always follows the complimentary close.

Post Script

Use P.S. to add a short message after the complimentary close. Use it especially to write down something that you may have forgotten in the body of the letter.

Ah, I am certain that these tidbits will help you write a great informal letter!

Oh, what was that you are asking? How do I properly write the recipient’s address on the envelope?

No problem, I have that covered. check the example below:

N.B:You may choose to leave out the commas after each line in the address.

Here are some more sample informal letters:

The first is a letter from George to his girlfriend Lisa, whereas the second is her reply:

Informal Sample letter # 2

I would love you to take note of the following in these informal letter sample:

In the first paragraph, George offers greetings, as well as a comment on his past and previous state of health.

George takes care to mention the things of lesser important first. Obviously, the informal letter is not about Trevor, so he deals with this first. I like the way he skilfully shifts the attention from Trevor to his girl friend in the closing sentence of paragraph two:

…What I did tell him was that your radiant smile is lighting up the entrance of the MTN offices.

In my own opinion, it is a good idea to mention the by-the-way and less essential things first, and then concentrate on the important things in the body.

The content of your letter should be tailored in such a way that it elicits a response on its own. In short, it should be substantial enough to prod the reader to respond (It is weak and totally uncool to beg for a reply).

A teasing statement like:

I am sure that the very idea of marrying a jobless and destitute man repels you enormously!

is bound to elicit a response, especially a defensive one. Learn to write in a manner that will compel the reader to reply. I am sure we are past the ‘Pliz reply’ postscript!

It is true that most people remember most what they read last, so in your concluding paragraph, mention something substantial. George uses the last paragraph to emphasise the closeness of their bond:

Take care dear! Remember, I am here—right here, in your heart.

Note the extra-friendly complimentary close. The complimentary close often saves to indicate how close you are to the person you are writing to; the more affectionate, the closer the friendship.

Yours forever,

George

Here was Lisa’s reply:

Informal letter sample # 3

Take note of the following:

Lisa does not find it necessary to write out the complete date. In fact, since George knows her so well, she might choose to leave out the address altogether.

Notice the extra affectionate salutation:

Dearest George

Be wary about using abbreviations.If you are to use them, make sure that you write them out in full in parenthesis if your reader will not know what they mean. In our example, Lisa uses the abbreviation TLC and does not write it in full because she is certain that George knows what it means.

Check the link below and get each speaker´s personal information.

]]>https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/requesting-and-giving-personal-information/feed/0teacherjorgeOrder the letter.https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/order-the-letter/
https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/order-the-letter/#commentsMon, 14 Mar 2011 23:38:24 +0000http://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/?p=155Continue reading →]]>We are pleased to hear of your companys interest in purchasing our Axer 550S scanner.2 May 200. You asked about a quantity discount.Thank you for your letter of 15 May enquiring about our new scanner models.We will be happy to discuss this if you give us some idea of the quantity you are ordering.Sales ManagerOur terms of payment are 15 days after the receipt of invoice.Yours sincerelyMr J. CarmicleManagerJC Software19 Market StreetBrighton BN4 6CDWe would also like to draw your attention to our Packard 305C model which has just beenintroduced to the market.MB COMPUTERS25 Bayswater Road, Putney PT7 9DS, tel/fax 0432-243 8719, e-mail:Mary.Bates@mbcom.co.ukI look forward to hearing from you in the near future.Mary BatesDear Mr CarmicleDo not hesitate to contact us if you want to get any more information.Mary Bates]]>https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/order-the-letter/feed/6teacherjorgeA Question of Tastehttps://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/a-question-of-taste/
https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/a-question-of-taste/#commentsTue, 08 Mar 2011 17:13:26 +0000http://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/a-question-of-taste/]]>In 250 words write about your experience eating food that you usually do not eat.]]>https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/a-question-of-taste/feed/14teacherjorgeGolden City Restauranthttps://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/golden-city-restaurant/
https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/golden-city-restaurant/#commentsTue, 08 Mar 2011 00:09:44 +0000http://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/golden-city-restaurant/]]>Clients Survey]]>https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/golden-city-restaurant/feed/20teacherjorgeAdvantages and Disadvantages of living alone at the age of 18https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-living-alone-at-the-age-of-18/
https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-living-alone-at-the-age-of-18/#commentsTue, 01 Mar 2011 17:45:48 +0000http://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-living-alone-at-the-age-of-18/]]>Write your opinion in 200 words and underline the topic sentence.]]>https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-living-alone-at-the-age-of-18/feed/18teacherjorgeNew Diet Trend: Vaporizing Food and Inhaling Ithttps://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/138/
https://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/138/#respondFri, 28 Jan 2011 00:05:38 +0000http://teacherjorge.wordpress.com/?p=138Continue reading →]]>New Diet Trend: Vaporizing Food and Inhaling It

Anorexics, rejoice: With asthma inhalers and vaporizers, inventor David Edwards turns physical food into a cloud, which dieters inhale to “sate chocolate or caffeine cravings” with no more than a single calorie. This is straight out of a futuristic farce.

His first experiment with ­breathable food was with Le Whif, a lipstick tube-shaped contraption that works like an asthma pump. But instead of medication, it is filled with powdered chocolate, coffee or vitamins.

‘Whiffers’ put their lips around the base of the tube and breathe in to fill their mouth with the powder. A single puff (one calorie) is supposed to sate chocolate or caffeine ­cravings—and it’s doing surprisingly well. More than 200,000 Whifs sold last year, the majority in the UK (£4, House of Fraser).

Le Whaf is basically an elaborate humidifier, controlled by piezoelectric crystals that vibrate rapidly to turn liquids into gas:

If you want, say, tomato soup, you need to buy a specially-prepared ­liquidised version of the dish made by Edwards’s team, which contains a secret mix of its ‘essences’.

To make the machine work, just press the ‘on’ switch. Within a minute, a cloud of tiny droplets forms in the goldfish bowl.

The cloud can be ­dispensed from a nozzle on the side of Le Whaf. It then stays ­suspended inside the glass for a minute before it sinks.

This, Edwards says, is “good for dieters.” Ten minutes of whiffing results in a caloric intake of a mere 200 calories! (Don’t a lot of foods that take ten minutes to eat have only 200 calories? Like an apple. And you get the added bonus of chewing and swallowing.) No word on what strange effects this will have your respiratory and, ahem, excretory systems.